As you consider your SEO options, you may wonder which techniques are the best to use for your website. Is it better to focus your efforts on optimizing your website itself or on getting back links from other sites? Is it better to focus on keyword density or customer needs?

None of this matters if you don’t know what your goals are. You know the old adage: You aren’t going to be able to get where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re going. You wouldn’t start out on a road trip, without knowing where you’re going. (Well, some college students might, but we’re assuming you’re trying to run a business, not escape from exams.)

So, the first thing you need to do is determine exactly what your goal is:

• Is your goal to get as many visitors to your site as possible, even if they don’t stick around?
• Is your goal to attract visitors who want the information, product or service you provide?

Not knowing the answer to that question can lead you down many dead ends. Choosing the wrong answer can lead you to lots of work with relatively little return. Once you know the right answer for a long-term, sustainable business, you can then start creating your battle plan.

Like a military commander doesn’t wake up one morning and decide to go into battle, you’ll need to put on the brakes and evaluate the situation.

A military commander will determine what his goals are, will evaluate his resources, research the enemy, observe the lay of the land and select a target. Only after he has completed all the necessary research and planning will he go into battle. The military commander will send his troops in to capture a hill, rescue a hostage or force an enemy to retreat, but only after careful planning.

As a website owner, you determine what your business goals are, evaluate your resources, research your market and competition, observe the lay of the search engine land and select your keyword phrases. As you implement your SEO strategy, you’ll know immediately if a specific technique fits into your plan.

For example, you’ll know that your customers don’t want to arrive at a page that is full of hidden keyword phrases. You’ll know that your site visitor wants to find specific information on a certain topic, specific group of products or services, or maybe other people with his interests.

Knowing your goals and the best ways to achieve them will help you avoid the minefields of black hat SEO, unethical “experts,” and uninformed but well-meaning friends.

Know where you’re going and how you’re going to get there, of course, is only half the battle. The other half is putting your plans into action and adjusting those plans as you go. After all, your market changes, the search engines change and the Internet itself is in a constant state of flux.

Like a military commander constantly receives and evaluates information, you will need to stay on top of day-to-day changes and progress in your SEO campaign. Not knowing where you’re going or how you’re going to get there at any given time is one of the most costly SEO mistakes.

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